Sokka's Blessing
by Kanna37
Summary: A little down at the mouth after the Ember Island Play, Aang gets a bit of good news that revitalizes his determination - in more ways than one.


**Sokka's Blessing**

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

~oOo~

"Hey... could I talk to you?"

Aang looked up from where he was lounging against a rock and met Sokka's oddly serious gaze. He blinked, wondering blankly what the older teen needed to talk to him about but shrugged and stood up. "Okay," he said, following the water tribe boy good-naturedly. He'd needed to get away from his own thoughts anyway, and maybe whatever Sokka wanted to talk about would give him the chance to do that.

Unfortunately for him, what Katara's older brother wanted to talk to him about was pretty much the same thing that was on his mind – not like she wasn't always taking over his thoughts, but that was besides the point. The point being...

"I know how you feel about my sister," Sokka said as soon as they were out of earshot of the others, and Aang paled and hunched back away from the older boy with horror as he came to a stop and turned to look at him.

"Uh, what are you talking about?" he squeaked, beginning to inch away from what he was certain was coming. After all, Sokka had always said he'd murder anyone that looked at Katara with even a smidgeon of interest, and Aang wasn't looking to get dead. Not before he faced Ozai, anyway. "Katara's my best friend! There's nothing wrong with that!"

Sokka sighed. "Chill out, Aang. I'm not mad. How could I be angry that the most powerful guy on the planet loves my sister? That just means that you'd do anything to protect her, and you already have many times over." The taller boy sat down and motioned for the avatar to join him, and Aang did so, sliding down to stare at Sokka with suspicion.

He opened his mouth to say something and then paused. "Wait... what do you mean I already have many times over?" he blushed, looking away. "Most of the time it's been Katara saving me. And how did you figure out how I feel about her, anyway?"

Scoffing, Sokka reached over and plinked the younger teen in the head. "Come on - you're pretty obvious with it, you know. Everybody knows. And besides," he said, his voice lowering as he looked down at Aang's nervously fidgeting fingers with a grin, "even the Avatar state responds to Katara."

"Huh?" Aang asked blankly, staring at Sokka in confusion.

"Haven't you ever noticed?" he questioned with surprise. "When Katara was in danger you went into the Avatar state that time in the earth kingdom. And even though there's other things that can push you into it, too, only she's ever been able to bring you _out_ of it without being harmed. Heck, even when you've gone into it and Katara was right there, every time you've attacked while being all glowy-eyed and crazy mad you've always made sure she was protected. Like back at General Fong's base that time. You blew everything up and yet Katara was right there with you and she didn't even get a scratch. And the same thing happened when you went into it against the sandbenders – she was right there and didn't get hurt in any way even while calming you down from it. If all that doesn't show how much you love her, then nothing does."

Aang blinked rapidly as he took all that in, and then he frowned, actually thinking about it. He'd never really realized it, but Sokka was right. Even when he was in the Avatar state he wasn't capable of harming Katara. Truthfully, that _would_ have made him feel much better about the whole thing – once. But since he was now locked out of the Avatar state seemingly permanently thanks to Azula's lightening strike, he guessed it didn't matter anymore. Still... it was good to know that even when he wasn't really himself he still protected – and loved - Katara.

He looked back up and met Sokka's blue eyes – eyes that were so much like hers and yet not. "S-so... you're _not_ going to try to kill me?" he asked dubiously, squinting at the other boy's odd expression.

"Don't sweat it, Aang. I just thought we needed to talk about it so I could give you my blessing. My dad approves, too."

"Huh," the airbender huffed, looking away and blushing, his silver eyes darkening with sadness. "It's not looking like I'm going to need it, Sokka. After that stupid play the other night I'm beginning to think she really does have feelings for Zuko. Maybe you should be giving him your blessing instead."

His words were met with a bark of laughter. "No way. Oh, she's forgiven him for the things that happened before, but it's not him she loves, don't worry about that."

"Really?" Aang perked up, looking hopefully at his friend. "But the other night she said-"

Sokka held up his hand. "Trust me, it doesn't matter what load she fed you – she didn't mean it. I know my sister, and even my dad could see it just from the time we spent with him on that fire nation ship. But you kinda need to stop worrying about that and turn all your attention on defeating the firelord, you know? Once that's over, I guarantee you things will work out with Katara just the way you've been hoping." He reached over and grabbed the teenager's arm as he started to float away in his excitement, halting him in two seconds flat. "Just because I'm letting you have my sister doesn't mean I want to see any oogies, are we clear? Keep the mushy stuff between you two _between_ you two, got it?"

Aang just nodded, too elated to really take in what the other boy was saying, and as soon as Sokka released him he pretty much floated back to camp, the biggest grin on his face that anyone had ever seen – and that was saying something.

Katara stared at the enraptured monk with narrowed eyes as he entered the firelight, then turned her gaze on her brother as he walked back into camp a little ways behind the younger boy. "What did you say to him?" she asked suspiciously, looking back and forth between the two. Aang instantly flushed, but his worries were put to rest when Sokka waved off her question.

"Nothing for you to worry about, my dear sister, just a talk between guys."

And as the two siblings began to squabble the Avatar just grinned and laid back on his rock, suddenly a lot more hopeful...

At least about part of the future, anyway. Now if only he could answer his question about a way to stop Ozai without killing him as easy as this had been dealt with, life would be great.


End file.
